Sourdough Pumpkin Bread: The Best Fall Loaf You’ll Make All Season

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This sourdough pumpkin bread smells like fall before it even finishes baking, all warm cinnamon and long-fermented dough. I buy pumpkin puree year-round to sneak into recipes for the fiber, and it usually pulls double duty as a natural sweetener and a fat mimicker while it bakes. This loaf is no different, though pumpkin does not replace the sugar entirely, and it bakes up denser than an airy quick bread. Pumpkin is almost all water, about 90 percent, and that moisture releases slowly in the oven, giving you a soft, fudgy crumb that stays moist for days instead of drying out by day two. Dense, moist, and exactly what fall baking should taste like.

Ingredients

Fermented Base

• 1 cup pureed pumpkin (240g)
• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour (160g)
• 1/2 cup active sourdough starter (120g)
• 7 Tbsp maple syrup (140g)

Add in the Morning

• 2 large eggs
• 1/3 cup melted butter (75g)
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract (7g)
• 1/2 tsp baking soda (3g)
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder (4g)
• 1/2 tsp salt (3g)
• 4 tsp cinnamon (11g)
• 1 1/2 tsp ground ginger (3g)
• 1 tsp nutmeg (3g)
• 1/2 tsp allspice (2g)

Equipment You Will Need

• OXO Good Grips 11-Pound Digital Kitchen Food Scale – weighing every ingredient is what makes the ferment consistent
• Aluminum Loaf Pan – even bake, nothing sticks, easy release
• Loaf Pan Liners, 9×5 Inch – pre-cut parchment liners sized for the loaf pan, no folding or cutting your own sling
• TEEVEA Danish Dough Whisk – folds the fermented base together without overworking it
• Weck Jar 743 – what I store my sourdough starter in
• TempPro Digital Instant Read Thermometer – the most reliable way to know your loaf is done
• Wire Cooling Rack – lets the loaf cool evenly so the crumb sets right

How to Make Sourdough Pumpkin Bread

Step 1: Mix your fermented base

In a large bowl, combine the pureed pumpkin, active sourdough starter, flour, and maple syrup. Mix with a dough whisk until no dry flour remains and the mixture looks like a thick, smooth batter. This is the base that ferments overnight, so take the extra minute to make sure everything is fully incorporated.

Step 2: Cover and ferment 8 to 12 hours

Cover the bowl and let it sit at room temperature for 8 to 12 hours. I go the full 12 when I can. The base will look puffed, slightly domed, and bubbled on top when it is ready, and it should smell tangy rather than flat. This long ferment is what gives this sourdough pumpkin bread its flavor and lets you skip refined sugar.

Step 3: Add your eggs, butter, and spices

Once the base has fermented, add the eggs, melted butter, vanilla, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and allspice right on top. Measuring the spices individually instead of using a pre-made pumpkin pie spice blend is one of the changes I make to this recipe, and it gives you a lot more control over the flavor.

Step 4: Mix everything into the fermented base

Stir the add-ins into the fermented base until you have a smooth, evenly spiced batter with no streaks of egg or butter left. The batter will be thick, more like a cake batter than a bread dough, which is normal for a pumpkin-based loaf like this one.

Step 5: Pour the batter into your pan

Line your loaf pan with parchment and pour in the batter, smoothing the top with a spatula. A parchment sling makes it easy to lift the finished loaf out cleanly once it has cooled.

Step 6: Bake until golden and set

Bake at 350 degrees for 45 to 55 minutes. The top should be deep golden brown and a thermometer or toothpick inserted in the center should come out clean. Every oven runs a little different, so start checking at 45 minutes.

Step 7: Cool completely before slicing

Let the loaf cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then lift it out by the parchment and let it finish cooling on a wire rack. Slicing too early will squish the crumb, so give it the full cooling time even though it smells impossible to resist.

Tips

• If you only have a pumpkin pie spice blend on hand, swap the cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and allspice for about 1 Tablespoon of pumpkin pie spice, then adjust to taste. I started with a pumpkin pie spice version of this recipe and liked it better once I measured the spices individually, so that is the version written here.
• Use an active, bubbly starter. A sluggish starter will still ferment, but it will take longer than 12 hours and the bread will taste flatter.
• Ferment time depends on your kitchen. A warm kitchen can be ready closer to 8 hours, a cool kitchen may need the full 12.
• Weigh the maple syrup and starter if you can. They are the two ingredients where a measuring cup gives you the least accurate result.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use pumpkin pie spice instead of measuring the spices individually?

Yes. Swap the cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and allspice for about 1 Tablespoon of pumpkin pie spice blend and adjust to taste. I tested this recipe both ways and prefer the individual spices, but the blend works if that is what you have.

Is this recipe actually sugar free?

No, and I do not want to claim that. There is no refined sugar, the sweetness comes from maple syrup and the long fermentation, but maple syrup is still a sugar. If you are managing blood sugar, talk to your doctor about how this fits your diet.

Can I use discard instead of active starter?

This recipe is built around active starter for the ferment and rise, so I would not swap in discard here. If you want a discard version, treat it as a different recipe with a shorter or skipped ferment.

Why is this bread so dense compared to a regular pumpkin bread?

Pumpkin is about 90 percent water, and the long ferment develops the crumb differently than a quick bread leavened with just baking soda and powder. Dense and fudgy is exactly what this loaf is supposed to be, not a sign anything went wrong.

What if my fermented base has not risen much after 8 hours?

Give it more time. Kitchen temperature makes a real difference, and a cooler kitchen can take the full 12 hours or a little longer. Look for a puffed, slightly domed top and a tangy smell rather than watching the clock.

Can I substitute the flour?

This recipe is tested with all-purpose flour. A different flour will change how the fermented base behaves, so if you experiment with whole wheat or a gluten-free blend, expect to adjust the ferment time and hydration.

Can I double this recipe for two loaves?

Yes, double every ingredient and split the batter between two pans. Baking time should stay close to the same, just start checking at 45 minutes.

Does this bread freeze well?

Yes. Wrap the whole loaf or individual slices tightly and freeze for up to 3 months. See the Freezer section below for thawing.

How to Store

Room Temperature

Store in an airtight container on the counter for up to 3 to 4 days. Because this loaf has no preservatives and stays moist from the pumpkin, keep it well sealed so it does not dry out or pick up moisture from the air.

Refrigerator

Refrigerated in an airtight container, this bread keeps for about a week. The crumb firms up slightly when cold, so let a slice sit at room temperature for a few minutes, or warm it for a few seconds, before serving.

Freezer

Wrap the whole loaf tightly or freeze individual slices with parchment between them, then place in a freezer bag. It keeps well for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature, or warm a slice straight from frozen in the microwave for about 20 seconds.

Final Thoughts

If you love a long-fermented loaf, my sourdough discard zucchini bread is the recipe this one grew out of, same pan, same dough whisk, a different season of the same idea. When spring rolls around, my sourdough discard lemon blueberry bread uses that same discard-forward approach with fresh lemon and blueberries instead of pumpkin and spice. Give this sourdough pumpkin bread a try this fall, and let me know in the comments if you go with the individual spices or the pumpkin pie spice shortcut.